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A group representing Alberta's non-unionized construction industry hopes the results of a new survey will convince the government to make changes to the province's labour laws.

Merit Contractors Association, which represents more than 1,300 "open shop" or non-unionized construction industry employers prov-incewide, wants the Redford government to make good on one of the promises it made during the election campaign. As part of their 2012 election platform, the PCs proposed introducing legislation making it mandatory for trade unions to disclose their annual financial statements to their members. They also proposed to give union members the right to opt out of any portion of union dues that fund activities unrelated to collective bargaining.

Peter Pilarski, Merit Con-tractors Association's vice-president for southern Alberta, said he believes changes to legislation are important because employees are fed up with having their union dues used to make political contributions or support certain social causes. During the 2008 provincial election campaign, for example, a series of anti-Conservative attack ads were paid for by "Albertans for Change," a coalition of the Alberta Building and Trades Council of Unions, the Alberta Federation of Labour and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. In Ontario's 2011 election campaign, a coalition of unions dubbed "Working Families" spent $2.1 million on ads attacking PC leader Tim Hudak.

"If belonging to a union and paying union dues are a condition of employment for me, I should have some rights as to where that money's going. The feeling I think Canadians have is they don't have those rights right now," Pilarski said.

A survey commissioned by Merit Contractors and released by the organization today seems to indicate support for Pilarski's premise. According to the survey, conducted by Leger Marketing, only 35 per cent of the 501 employed Albertans interviewed believe union dues are well-spent, while 41 per cent do not. Seventy-two per cent of respondents believe union members should have the right to opt out of certain union activities, while 63 per cent think unionization itself shouldn't be mandatory in any workplace and employees should have the option of opting out entirely.

The survey results are based on 501 online interviews with employed Albertans.

Martyn Piper, executive secretary treasurer of the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers, said his union already makes its financial information fully available to its members and he has no problem with the idea of a provincial law requiring that type of disclosure from all unions.

What he is opposed to, however, is the premise of Bill C-377, a private member's bill currently before the federal House of Commons which would require unions to make all of their financial information publicly available online. He said that level of disclosure would jeopardize the privacy of everyone from pension fund recipients to vendors and contractors.

"It's our members who should know how the finances are spent," Piper said. "Do we want the rest of the world to know what we do with our finances? I don't think any organization wants that, either personally or professionally."

Piper disagreed with the idea that people should be able to opt out of certain portions of their union dues, arguing unions make their decisions democratically and members - just like in any other organization - must abide by the will of the majority. He said those who don't want to be unionized at all are free to choose an alternative workplace.

Piper added he believes advocates of such legislation are unfairly putting unions in a bad light.

"The problem is people don't understand us and they don't make any attempt to understand us," he said. "There are always people who want to attack unions, but at the end of the day, to what end?"

In spite of what was proposed in his party's campaign platform, deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk said the government has not yet made a decision on whether or not to amend Alberta's labour laws. He said he will soon be inviting both sides - employers' groups and union officials - to sit down and discuss how to keep Alberta competitive while growing the labour force at the same time.

'Both sides have ideas on how to accomplish that, but those ideas are not always parallel," Lukaszuk said. "There is a balance there, and that means that either one of those two visions cannot be adopted holus-bolus."

Labour Study

Conducted by Leger Marketing, based on 501 online interviews with employed Albertans

- (results weighted by age and gender to ensure demographic representation)

- Percentage of respondents who agreed with the following statements:

- Union dues are well-spent - 35%

- Union dues are not well-spent - 41%

- Employees should have the ability to opt out of non-core union activities - 72%

- Unionization should not be a mandatory condition for employment and that employees should be able to opt out of all union dues - 63%

- Workers should be able to obtain financial information about their union - 94%

- It should be mandatory for all unions to publicly disclose their finances - 86%

- Unions have a positive role in ensuring job security - 81%

- Unions are relevant today - 40%

- Unions were once relevant, but aren't anymore - 45%

 

The Calgary Herald, August 31, 2012

Byline: Amanda Stephenson

 

EDMONTON — Lower-than-expected energy revenue has Alberta on track to post another deficit this year that could reach as high as $3 billion, require spending cuts and force the government to play hardball with public sector contracts, Finance Minister Doug Horner warned Thursday.

While Horner blamed volatile world markets for the gloomy first quarter, opposition MLAs and other critics said the results are a vindication of their accusations the Redford government wildly overestimated its income projections in its pre-election budget last February.

"The bubble has officially burst on the 'Alison Wonderland' budget," Wildrose critic Kerry Towle said. "This government's inflated budget projection are now exposed for exactly what they were, a pre-election scheme to deceive Albertans and hide the true extent of their fiscal incompetence and mismanagement."

The February budget called for a relatively modest $886-million deficit, which the government promised was to be the last of five straight years of deficits before returning to a surplus in 2013-14.

The budget was based on the belief revenue would exceed $40 billion for the first time in the province's history, a target opposition critics said was unrealistic in light of the continued struggles of the global economy.

The results unveiled Thursday seem to uphold those arguments, as the province said revenue was off by $400 million in the first-quarter from April 1 to June 30. That now has the government on track toward a deficit of between $2.3 billion and $3 billion, triple what was initially estimated.

The biggest reason for the change is a massive drop in energy income. The province expected to take in almost $2.8 billion in non-renewable resource revenue during the first three months, but instead ended up with about $1.9 billion. Bitumen royalties alone were off target by about $550 million, while lease sales of Crown land were down about $215 million.

The decline was partially offset by better-than-expected revenue in other areas, including personal income tax and money from premiums, fees and licences.

Horner rejected the idea his department had been too optimistic in its revenue estimates.

He said the budget was based on a belief oil prices would average about $99 a barrel during the year, a prediction that corresponded with projections made by various banks and financial organizations.

However, prices in the first three months trended considerably lower, dropping as far as $77 in late June. Bitumen royalties were also affected by pipeline and refinery shutdowns. Horner said that inability to get product out means that Alberta gets a lower price for its oil than what is charged on the world market.

Standing in front of large coloured charts that showed the ups and downs of various fiscal updates over the past few years, Horner urged Albertans not to read too much into this year's first-quarter results.

He said the "roller-coaster" Alberta is experiencing is largely due to factors beyond its control, including economic uncertainty in the U.S. and Europe, political instability in the Middle East and massive growth in China.

"They can make it a challenge when it comes to forecasting revenues that will go into our coffers over the course of the full year," he said. "It's important to remember that much of the fiscal year is still ahead of us. This is a snapshot of a certain point in time and doesn't tell the whole story."

He noted oil prices have since returned to about $95 a barrel. For every $1 oil falls below the projected rate, Alberta loses about $220 million.

While revenue remains a challenge, Horner said the government does have control over its spending. Among the belt-tightening measures coming, the minister said he is asking provincial departments to come up with $500 million in savings this year, though it's not yet clear where those cuts will be applied.

Horner said department spending will also be capped at original budget allocations, meaning there will be no new money available for public sector contracts until the financial picture improves. He said that didn't necessarily mean a pay freeze for public sector workers, but departments will have to live within whatever funding they received at the start of the year.

"I think there should be a message in this for them (the unions) in the sense that we are going to hold the line on our spending. We are tightening our belts, so we would expect all others to do the same."

Furthermore, capital spending will also be reviewed. This week, the government announced it was cancelling a new police college for Fort Macleod, and Horner said he will as departments to look for similar projects that may not be needed right away. The new Royal Alberta Museum is safe, he said.

Shannon Phillips, a policy analyst with the Alberta Federation of Labour, said Horner's warning has produced concern that workers such as teachers and doctors — two groups currently in negotiations — will pay the price for government mismanagement of the books. She said the government wouldn't have such revenue problems if it took a fair share of royalties from oil companies, and increased taxes on wealthy corporations and individuals.

"Basing your budget on rosy oil prices is like basing your household budget on what you might win at a VLT terminal."

Alberta Teachers' Association president Carol Henderson said she expects the province to keep its promise to better fund education. She said as long as the government keeps to the budget that was already allocated, there shouldn't be an issue during negotiations.

Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Linda Slocombe said in statement it was unclear how Horner's warning might affect negotiations with doctors, who haven't had a fee increase since 2010.

While NDP critic David Eggen called on the government to fix the situation by taking in more royalties, Towle said the solution is to reduce spending. She said the financial problems will get worse as the premier tries to implement election promises, including scores of new schools and Family Care Clinics.

Any year-end deficit will be paid for out of the province's sustainability fund, which had declined to about $6.3 billion as of June 30.

Despite the government's struggles, Horner said the Alberta economy is doing well with low unemployment, and strong growth in housing starts and retail sales.

Much of 2011-12 was also gloomy and unpredictable, with the province initially projecting a $3.4-billion deficit. By year's end, the red ink was reduced to just $23 million, largely thanks to record land lease sales.

The Edmonton Journal, Thursday August 30 2012

NDP calls for a deeper look at fracking in Alberta

The Alberta NDP has renewed its call for a scientific review of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technology. NDP environment critic Rachel Notley says an independent, science-based review is necessary because uncertainty about the risks associated with fracking are exaggerated in Alberta due to the number of abandoned well sites across the province.

"We just think it's irresponsible to do [fracking] without first having a better sense of what the consequences are," says Notley. She says that without a comprehensive review, which would ideally result in legislation specifically geared toward fracking, the provincial government does "not have the capacity to tell us if there's a problem or not, because they're not looking for it, first of all. Secondly, the nature of fracking has changed dramatically... we're engaging in a much more risky form of fracking."

Notley is particularly concerned with the possible effects horizontal fracking techniques could have on groundwater.

The NDP is not the only organization pressuring the Alberta government to initiate a study of fracking. The Council of Canadians is also campaigning for a review.

Notley says she is skeptical of the government's claims that fracking is safe and closely monitored, especially after documents obtained by the Alberta Federation of Labour revealed in November 2011 that the government entered into discussions with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers to create a joint communications campaign to convince the public fracking is safe. That collaboration never materialized.

The quasi-independent Energy Resources Conservation Board, which reports directly to cabinet, is charged with regulating fracking activities in Alberta. It is currently reviewing its fracking rules, though the government has not expressed any intention to open a fully independent review.

Notley says she doesn't believe the government understands the need for investigations apart from ERCB work.

"There's a broad range of ways in which the government can act to protect the public and balance the need for sustainable and healthy economic development," she says. "It's a 40-year-old government that's completely captured by the oil and gas industry, the end."

FFWD News, Thursday 30 Aug 2012

Byline: Suzy Thompson

NDP calls for a deeper look into fracking in Alberta

The Alberta NDP has renewed its call for a scientific review of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technology. NDP environment critic Rachel Notley says an independent, science-based review is necessary because uncertainty about the risks associated with fracking are exaggerated in Alberta due to the number of abandoned well sites across the province.

"We just think it's irresponsible to do [fracking] without first having a better sense of what the consequences are," says Notley. She says that without a comprehensive review, which would ideally result in legislation specifically geared toward fracking, the provincial government does "not have the capacity to tell us if there's a problem or not, because they're not looking for it, first of all. Secondly, the nature of fracking has changed dramatically... we're engaging in a much more risky form of fracking."

Notley is particularly concerned with the possible effects horizontal fracking techniques could have on groundwater.

The NDP is not the only organization pressuring the Alberta government to initiate a study of fracking. The Council of Canadians is also campaigning for a review.

Notley says she is skeptical of the government's claims that fracking is safe and closely monitored, especially after documents obtained by the Alberta Federation of Labour revealed in November 2011 that the government entered into discussions with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers to create a joint communications campaign to convince the public fracking is safe. That collaboration never materialized.

The quasi-independent Energy Resources Conservation Board, which reports directly to cabinet, is charged with regulating fracking activities in Alberta. It is currently reviewing its fracking rules, though the government has not expressed any intention to open a fully independent review.

Notley says she doesn't believe the government understands the need for investigations apart from ERCB work.

"There's a broad range of ways in which the government can act to protect the public and balance the need for sustainable and healthy economic development," she says. "It's a 40-year-old government that's completely captured by the oil and gas industry, the end."

Fast Forward Weekly News, August 30, 2012

Byline: Suzy Thompson

The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) says the government's decision to withhold information on farm fatalities is an attempt to move the issue to the back burner and off the public radar. The AFL represents over 150,000 Alberta workers.

"Farm workers are already left unprotected under health and safety regulations," says AFL Secretary Treasurer Nancy Furlong. "The decision to cease reporting fatalities is a painful example of how agricultural workers are being erased in Alberta."

The news that the province would stop reporting information on farm worker deaths and injuries was delivered through a government website; the province offered no meaningful explanation for the change.

Alberta remains the only province where farm workers are excluded from occupational health and safety laws, as well as legislation governing hours of work and overtime, statutory holidays, vacation pay, the right to refuse unsafe work, being informed of work-related dangers and compensation if they are injured on the job.

"It is the government's duty to protect workers, but also to report their deaths and injuries. Death and injury prevention requires knowledge of the frequency and nature of the incidents," says Furlong, noting that the latest data available on the agency now reporting these statistics, the Canadian Agriculture Injury Reporting, is from 2005.

"The Alberta Federation of Labour declared August 20 as Farm Workers Day at our 2005 Convention, and has been calling on the government to allow farm workers the same protections as most Alberta workers enjoy," says Furlong. "It's particularly insulting to the families of those killed on the job to have to call on the government to continue to simply report these incidents.

"This decision to stop reporting the number and nature of farm deaths helps to hide the real problem—Alberta's deplorable lack of workplace protection for farms workers in the province," concludes Furlong.

Workers' Compensation Institute, Tuesday August 28 2012

Liberal MLA David Swann has called on one snack food company to stop using Alberta-produced potatoes, as child labour in the province's industry remains unregulated.

In Alberta, one member of the legislative assembly is calling for a boycott of potato farms in the Canadian province, stating that child labour continues to be employed on the farms. The company he targeted in particular was snack foods manufacturer and potato-chip giant, Frito Lay.

Human Services Minister Dave Hancock defended the family farm in the Edmonton Journal. "I think it's unfair to Alberta producers, and Albertans, to write a letter to one of the chief buyers saying, 'Don't buy anything from Alberta in this area because someone might be using child labour,'" he said.

Some companies attempt to refrain from using child or forced labour as part of their ethical sourcing requirements or corporate social responsibility endeavours. David Swann would like to see the company refrain from buying Alberta potatoes under similar provisions.

On the other hand, Rob Van Roessel of the Potato Growers of Alberta is proud of the safety protocols it has pioneered in the industry. Work for children is safe so long as supervision and training is adequate he is reported saying in the Edmonton Journal.

Citing the Alberta Federation of Labour, the Edmonton Journal reports that agriculture-related fatalities are no longer government-reported. Mr. Swann, however, estimated the number to be 30 over the span of two decades. Eric Muse amp, president of the Farm Workers Union of Alberta, says that a third of agriculture fatalities are among children.

In 2008 alone, reports the Calgary Herald, six of the 23 agriculture-related deaths were among children. Many of the fatalities among children in recent years involved machinery and infrastructure—a 12-year-old pinned under a shop door; a five-year old falling off a wagon in tow of a tractor; a seven-year-old crushed at an industrial feedlot; two young children buried in grain off-loaded by a truck; a four-year-old run over; a nine-year old killed by a rolling tractor while another was asphyxiated after falling into a grain hopper; and two other youth under twelve were thrown from a truck to their deaths.

Divisions between child labour a child work can be a contentious issue. Countries around the world have different minimum ages of employment. Different rules may apply to children working on farms as compared to other industries.

According to the Canadian Labour Congress, "Alberta Employment Standards Code permits the employment of 12 to 14 year olds with the written consent of one parent or guardian. The employment of children under 12 is prohibited."

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Canada is a state party, aims to protect children from child labour. The International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour also outlaws hazardous work for children. Hazardous work is labour dangerous to the health, safety and morals of a child.

SOSChilldren's Villages, Tuesday August 28 2012

Issue:  UFCW 1118 on strike/lockout for fair wages and working hours since Saturday, August 25, 2012.

Actions Requested:  Support your sisters and brothers on the picket line at 127 Avenue and 76 Street in Edmonton.

When:  Pickets will be going in shifts between Monday and Friday, 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Backgrounder:  UFCW 1118 workers at Lilydale Foods’ North Edmonton shop are on strike for wages comparable to those in other Lilydale plants. The employer refuses to pay wages on par with other Lilydale plants despite the fact that these workers work harder by handling larger and heavier poultry. The employer has cut the number of workers on the floor, meaning those left on the floor have to work harder while their wages have remained the same. Workers are also asking for a guaranteed minimum number of hours per week. There are about 200 workers on strike in shifts of about 75.

AFL’s Position:  The AFL is asking union members to support the striking workers by joining them on the picket line whenever possible - the picket line runs every day from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Action:  Support your sisters and brothers on the picket line at 127 Avenue and 76 Street in Edmonton.

Key contact at the AFL:  Tony Clark, 780-218-5281 (cell)

Government accused of ignoring farm workers' rights

The Alberta government's failure to post its annual report of farm work-related fatalities has brought allegations from the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) that the province is deliberately trying to move the issue to the back burner.

However, Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Stuart Elson says the statistics will be posted "shortly," once the ministry finishes its review of how the statistics are reported.

"Some of the information we provided, it was providing a little bit too much detail in terms of identifying victims and putting some additional hardship on the families," says Elson. He says 16 people died while working on Alberta farms in 2011; down from the 22 reported in 2010 but about average for the past decade.

AFL secretary-treasurer Nancy Furlong says she is skeptical about Elson's answer, but says the issue of government inaction on farm worker issues is inexcusable.

The AFL is engaged in a long-term campaign to get farm workers covered by Occupational Health and Safety legislation. Alberta is the only Canadian province that excludes farm workers from labour laws, including rules governing working hours and conditions, age limits, pay and the right to refuse unsafe work.

Last year the AFL, NDP, Liberals, Farmworkers Union of Alberta and United Food and Commercial Workers Canada sent letters to then Agriculture minister Thomas Lukaszuk calling for legislative changes. The government refused, and instead created educational farm safety programs and created a 15-member advisory panel to study the implications of legislative changes. The AFL points out that 11 of the 15 members are agriculture employers, and only one is a worker representative.

On August 21, Liberal MLA David Swann weighed in, calling on major corporations like McDonald's and PepsiCo (owner of Frito Lay) to boycott Alberta-grown potatoes until Occupational Health and Safety, Workers' Compensation Board and child labour laws are expanded to cover agriculture employees.

The provincial government has long held that farm work is fundamentally different from other forms of labour because it traditionally relies on the unpaid labour of family members.

"We just want to make sure that we're bringing forth practical solutions to enhance farming but also respect the rural way of life and the needs of the family farm," explains Elson.

Furlong says that is illogical and ignores the majority of employees in the agriculture industry that work for large-scale operations.

"This is a historical thing, [it] was left over from before we had agribusiness, really, and most of this province was covered over with small farms," says Furlong. "We're going to continue to lobby the government and we're going to continue to hopefully educate the public to say 'this is astounding and outrageous.'"

The AFL represents over 150,000 Alberta workers. It states three-quarters of Alberta farms report incomes over $250,000, and that there are approximately 12,000 "farm workers" in the province. In 2005 the federation declared August 20 as "Farm Workers Day."

FFWD News, Thurs Aug 23 2012
Byline: Suzy Thompson

Province should give farm workers occupational safeguards

The province was called upon again this week to give Alberta farm workers the same protections as those in other occupations, and in other provinces.

The Alberta Federation Labour was among the voices which used the occasion of National Farmworkers' Day, on Monday, to push the province to take action. AFL policy director Shannon Phillips of Lethbridge, in urging the Alberta government to include farm workers in occupational health and safety and employment standards codes, said, "We are currently the only jurisdiction that has no form of protection for farm workers."

NDP agriculture critic David Eggen slammed the province for its lack of action to protect farmers, noting farm labourers are excluded from basic employment standards such as hours of work, overtime, vacation pay or statutory holiday pay.

"Alberta is far behind the rest of Canada in regards to farm workers' safety," said Eggen.

Those calling for action argue that farm workers in Alberta deserve the same protections as workers in any other industry. The province has always countered that it doesn't want to infringe on the operation of the family farm, but protecting farm workers doesn't have to interfere with small farming operations. It's workers in the larger corporate agricultural operations who are most in need of regulations to serve their interests.

Judge Peter Barley, in his report from the fatality inquiry into the 2006 death of farm worker Kevan Chandler, recommended that the province amend the safety act to include paid farm workers. But he indicated that family members and other unpaid workers could still be exempted, so the province's long-held argument against making changes doesn't stand up.

Barley, in his report, noted, "No logical explanation was given as to why paid employees on a farm are not covered by the same workplace legislation as non-farm employees."

Eric Musekamp, president of the Farmworkers Union of Alberta, has been calling for better protection for farm workers in the province. He noted in a letter to The Herald earlier this summer that Alberta fatality numbers would climb by 19 per cent if agriculture work-related deaths were included. He said that number doesn't include farmworkers who die of workplace diseases or illness, nor does it include motor vehicle crashes which make up a large proportion of workplace deaths in other industries.

Phillips said the province has spent years studying the issue and in the meantime, farm workers continue to die.

There seems to be no good reason why farm workers in Alberta don't have the same occupational protection as those in other industries. It's time for the provincial government to do what it should have already done - put those workers on a level playing field with other workers, and with their counterparts in other provinces.

Lethbridge Herald, Wedn Aug 23 2012

Wants review of extraction process

More than five million cubic metres of fresh water were allocated for fracking in Alberta last year, the NDP said Tuesday as it renewed calls for the province to conduct an independent scientific review of the controversial energy extraction practice.

The Tory government said the amount is only a drop in the bucket compared to the total amount of water allocated in Alberta annually, but noted it's trying to reduce the use of freshwater for fracking and sees no need for a broader investigation.

In Lethbridge, NDP environment critic Rachel Notley said figures provided by the Environment Department to the Alberta Federation of Labour estimate 5.5 million cubic metres of non-saline water were provided for hydraulic fracturing between June 2011 and June 2012.

Fracking involves the underground injection of water with sand and chemicals under high pressure to allow natural gas and oil previously trapped in unproductive reservoirs to flow.

"There is a growing level of development in this area and there are still very, very significant questions and concerns that need to be answered," Notley said in an interview.

"We understand the economic interests behind extraction but at the same time, if we put our water supply at risk, at the end of the day there will be no net benefit,"

The NDP initially called for a review of fracking last year. Notley said the primary concern to be examined is the effect on both the quality and sustainability of the province's water supply.

Alberta Environment figures show a total of 10.2 million cubic metres were allocated for oil and natural gas drilling in the province last year. The province only began tracking how much was used for fracking earlier this year.

Fracking has been used in Alberta for years but the practice is expected to grow exponentially to access shale gas reserves and hard-to-get conventional oil.

Mark Cooper, spokesman for Environment Minister Diana McQueen, said the amount of water earmarked for fracking comes from more than 10 billion cubic metres of water allocated annually for all uses in the province.

But he said the government does plan to talk with Albertans about the province's water supply, reviewing issues such as its use in fracking.

"We need to look at ways in which we can reduce the amount and perhaps look at ways where industry can use non-potable water," said Cooper.

However, he said the government does not see the need for a comprehensive review of hydraulic fracturing. "We have a very, very strong safety record. I don't know of a fracking incident that resulted in any contamination to groundwater," he added.

Environment is taking part in the Energy Resources Conservation Board's current review of regulations around fracking, he noted. ERCB spokesman Bob Curran said Tuesday the review is taking place in anticipation of greatly increased use of the procedure in the province.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers issued voluntary guidelines around fracking for its members in January that encourage producers to use additives with the least environmental risks, protect groundwater, and disclose fracking fluid additives.

"Hydraulic fracturing is a proven technology that is tightly regulated by government," David Pryce, CAPP vice-president of operations, said in a statement. "However, we can always do better."

The Calgary Herald, Wedn August 22 2012

Byline: Jerry Wood